What worry means?
Asked by Anonymous
Answered
04/21/2021
When we feel sad, we focus on the past; when we worry, we focus on the future. Worry is distress from thinking about something impending or unknown. It is human nature to fear the unknown, but this fear can become worse for some people. The fear causes the impending or unknown events to take the form of racing thoughts and images in the brain, worrying.
What If Thinking
When we worry, our mind is on auto-pilot of “what if” scenarios. We fall under the false be enough; we can control the impending and unknown without worrying about enough events. Worry is a normal emotion that we all feel from time to time, whether over a job interview, a first date, or our loved ones' safety. It becomes a concern when we only think about the “what if” scenarios, and our time is consumed by trying to control the outcome. We think, “What if I don’t get the job and can’t pay my bills, what will I do?” or “What if something happens to my daughter at the party, how do I keep her safe?” We play numerous outcomes in our minds, and the majority, if not all, are negative. When we can’t let go of the “what if” scenarios, the worry becomes anxiety.
Physical Effects
While worry has adverse effects on our minds, it affects our bodies once it leads to anxiety. Anxiety from worrying can cause problems in our sleep, appetite, and general health. When we become too anxious, we trigger our fight-or-flight response which releases stress hormones from our sympathetic nervous system. Our body reacts to stress hormones by increasing our heartbeat causing headaches, irritability, shortness of breath, fatigue, and much more. The symptoms can lead to depression, digestive disorders, cognitive and memory loss, heart attack, suicidal ideations, and more. If you have been experiencing any suicidal thoughts, reach out for help immediately. You can reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Worry may seem like a simple emotion that we all experience. However, if the worry is taken to the extreme, it can cause catastrophic outcomes for our minds, body, and lives.
